The concept of telematics stems from the inception of military Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in the early 1960’s. By the late 1970’s, vehicle telematics tracking became a growing phenomenon to improve road safety and minimize environmental impact. By 1993, GPS technology became available to consumers, and by the early 2000s, telematics started picking up speed in web-based fleet management systems. Fast forward over three decades, and telematics is no longer just about GPS-based asset tracking. Through the rise of the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), telematics systems have revolutionized into comprehensive fleet management solutions that work to address safety, cut costs, and improve system efficiencies. As the demand for business intelligence increases in the fleet management sector, it is essential that OEMs and system operators integrate the following five telematics solutions into their operations.

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1. Safety & Regulatory Compliance

Safety and regulatory compliance is a must when it comes to telematics for fleet management. But unfortunately, personnel don’t always follow the rules and human error is bound to occur. By implementing a telematics solution focused on safety, industrial workplaces like distribution centers, manufacturing facilities, ports, and construction sites can remain compliant. Through the combination of cameras, sensors, and buzzers, injuries and equipment damage can be avoided. Personnel can also have their OSHA checklist available right at their fingertips.

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2. Abuse, Load and Temperature Monitoring 

Through the use of integrated sensors, data tracking, and automated reporting, system operators can identify the abuse of equipment and load capacity in real time. For sensitive materials that must be monitored for temperature levels, operators can be alerted through their telematics system when temperatures are at an unacceptable level to ensure timely intervention.

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3. Battery and Charger Usage, Water Levels and Lifecycle

Forklift downtime is largely accredited to a dead battery. Forklift telematics can be easily installed to monitor battery power and health. It is also important not to overlook a battery’s water level. Improper battery water levels can cause damage and thus diminish the life of a battery. Through fleet management telematics, system managers can be alerted when a battery is overheating (water too low) or if there is an overflow (water too high).

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4. Equipment Usage and Idle Time

Fleet management telematics solutions are able to monitor equipment usage and idle time to help reduce fuel costs and CO2 emissions. Managing a large, decentralized fleet? Rely on a telematics solution to receive real-time analytics on equipment usage and reporting on ways to minimize unnecessary idle time.

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5. Maintenance Data

Don’t wait until the last minute to perform maintenance on your forklifts or other equipment. Through the use of a telematics system, fleet managers can be alerted of regular maintenance needs to avoid extended repair downtime.

Predictive maintenance can analyze equipment health, usage, and maintenance trends to provide detailed insights that can in turn save businesses a ton of money on repairs. According to McKinsey & Company, predictive maintenance can generate substantial savings by increasing production line availability by 5 to 15% and reducing maintenance costs by 18 to 25%.

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Telematics Solutions Built for this Decade and Beyond

There is no doubt that telematics technologies have advanced in the past few years. However, with so many important data points to keep track of, it is hard to determine which solutions best suit your unique use case. Many businesses that see the need for telematics end up with a handful of disparate systems with data being captured amongst different devices. This approach is extremely outdated and inefficient. 

This is why industry experts, Access Control Group (ACG), have developed comprehensive fleet management telematics solutions that have a flexible API and are customizable to meet the needs of any application. Monitor safety, load, battery usage, idle time, maintenance data and more all through ACG’s cloud-based AssetPro 360 business intelligence platform. When combined with ACG’s VITAL, ADVANCED, and ULTIMATE telematics devices, fleet managers can gain peace of mind knowing that their assets are secure and their bottom line is accounted for. Additionally, ACG’s telematics solutions are brand agnostic, making mixed fleet management a breeze.

Need assistance setting up your custom fleet management telematics solution? Contact Access today to get started.

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